Detailed job description and main responsibilities

•To be responsible and accountable for assessment, diagnosis and treatment for a wide variety of conditions including complex cases, in the community as an autonomous and lone practitioner to clients.

•To be able to demonstrate specialist knowledge levels and skills in neurology conditions and interventions.

•To demonstrate theoretical knowledge of multiple pathologies and impairments in the assessment of community clients, often in the presence of incomplete or conflicting referral information to form accurate analyses and diagnoses

•Utilize effective clinical reasoning skills and evidence based practice to develop individual specialist rehabilitation management care plans.

•To assess for and provide equipment to enhance independence in daily living skills for service users

•To monitor, review and continually re-assess clients complex care plans and objectives against outcomes measures in order to facilitate modification of packages of care/targets as appropriate to enable achievement of their goals.

•To carry out clinical risk assessment and complete risk management plans relevant to the clinical group

•To seek guidance from more experienced Physiotherapist/ Occupational Therapy colleagues regarding the treatment and management of clients with highly complex presentations.

•To work in a co-ordinated, manner, communicating effectively with other team members and the wider clinical network involved in client care.

•To provide advice and education to client, carers and relatives based on clinical evidence.

•To attend and contribute to meetings/ case conferences relating to client  best care and wellbeing

•To maintain up-to-date clinical written records using POMR system and computerised database in accordance with local and professional standards; and also writing comprehensive discharge and progress reports to medical referrers within KPI requirements, ensuring service user and all relevant agencies are given relevant information

•To prioritise caseload against team guidelines and standards.

•Work with specialist neurology nurses and Neurorehabilitation Manager in developing the services for those with neurology long term conditions.

•To identify and manage where appropriate the mental / emotion health of the client, with guidance from more senior staff where needed

•To frequently exercise mental effort on a daily basis during assessment and treatment, using technical equipment as required.

•To convey unwelcome or unpleasant news to clients in an empathetic and sensitive manner

•To be able to operate as a lone worker in the community setting

•To be able to cope with occasional, potential stressful, upsetting or emotional situations in an empathetic manner, such as clients suffering from illnesses or pain states that may lead to anxiety and aggressive behaviour

•To comply with the Trust’s Manual Handling Policy and local therapeutic handling guidelines using high level manual handling skills when carrying out assessments and treatments, with moderate physical effort throughout the day

•To work in an environment where the work patterns may be disrupted by frequent demands from clients, clinical staff, students and administrative support staff and respond to any emergency situations arising

•To be exposed to unpleasant working conditions, this may involve frequent exposure to bodily fluids such as vomit, urine, faeces, sputum, saliva and unpleasant smells

•To be exposed to adverse weather and driving conditions on a frequent basis.

•To travel between sites of work on a regular / daily basis in a timely manner as dictated by service and clients’needs